Needle-cylinder for circular-knitting machines



(No Model.) 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I R. W. GORMLY.

NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES. No. 499,382. PatentedJune 13, 1893.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I R. W. GORMLY. N NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

Patented June 13, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. GORMLY, OF TROY, NEW- YORK.

NEEDLE-CYLINDER FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,382, dated June 13,1893.

Application filed January 23, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. GORMLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Cylinders forKnitting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and theletters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is atop, plan view of my improvedneedle-cylinder for knitting machines, with a part, only, of the needlesin position for use. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of a portionof the cylinder, taken on the broken line 2-2, in Fig. l, the lowerportion being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section ofone of the cylinder spokes, taken on the broken line 33,in Fig. 1, andshowing in elevation a portion of the inner side of theneedle-supporting cylinderring. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of thecylinder-ring taken on the broken line 4+4, in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is atopplan view of the lower section of a cam-washer for supporting thecylinder.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

The object of my invention is to provide means for varying the number ofneedles in a rotary needle-supporting cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, A is the needle-supporting ring which isconnected by radial arms or spokes A with a central hub or socket Aadapted to receive and turn upon a stud or spindle A secured to projectvertically upward from a fixed support or bed-plate,A The hub isprovided with a toothed collar A fixed thereon and adapted to be engagedby a driving gear, not shown, in the usual well-known manner. Theperiphery of the upper portion of the ringis inclined to the axial lineof the cylinder, ap-

proximately at an angle of forty-five degrees,

to form the inclined seats A" for the needle-supporting blocks, 13-. Theblocks are Serial No. 459,405. (No model.)

usually called leads, being formed by molding ablock of lead about theheels of a pair of needles, B. The blocks are provided with seats Binclined at-the same angle as the block-seats on the ring. The blocksare severally provided with an upwardly facing seat, B adapted to engagewith a stop 13 on the stop-ring B concentric with the needle-ring. Thestops B are preferably in the form of a peripheral flange extendingaround the stop-ring. The latter ring is pro" vided with three or moreinclined slots l5? shown in the dependinglugs B adapted to receive theradial stud-bolts A projecting inwardly from the needle-ring. The studsare preferably screw-threaded as shown in Fig. 4, and inserted inscrew-threaded apertures in the needle-ring.

By means of the heads A the. studs can be adjusted so as to bear uponand secure the stop-ring in a fixed position. By loosening thestud-bolts, the stop-ring can be revolubly moved relatively to theneedle-ring, which also gives it a vertical movement relatively to theneedle-ring, by means of the inclined slots and stud-bolts. I

As a convenient means for communicating the relatively revoluble andvertical movements to the stop-ring, I provide such ring with aninteriorly projecting radial lug B having a screw-threaded apertureadapted to receive the threaded end of the bolt 13 and one of theneedle-ring arms or spokes with an upright lug A having a verticallyelongated slot-A adapted to receive the stem of bolt B-. After the bolthas been inserted in the two lugs, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, withthe head of the bolt bearing upon the slotted lug, the lugs can beeasily drawn toward each other by turning the bolt, therebycommunicating the desired revoluble movement to the stop-ring. Theneedleblocks are forced to their respective seats on the needle-ring andthe stop-ring by means of the clamps O-, controlled by the clampbolts,G', screw-threaded on one end and provided with a collar 0*- on theother end to engage the clamps. The clamp-blocks are severally providedwith a vertical slot 0 adapted to receive the stem of the bolt, and thescrew threaded ends of the bolts are adapted to enter and fit threadedapertures in the needle-ring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The lower partof the clamp-block bears upon the needle-ring, and the upper part uponthe needle-blocks. The engaging surfaces of the ring and clamp-block areinclined in a general line parallel with the needle-block seats A- onthe ring, so that the clamp-block may remain in a vertical positionwhile clamping the needle-blocks in any position they may assume ontheir seats. The engaging inclined surfaces of the clamp-blocks andneodle-ring may be stepped, as shown at O to prevent such surfaces fromsliding upon each other.

When it is desired to reduce the size of the needle-cylinder and employa smaller number of needles, it is only necessary to loosen one or moreof the clamp-blocks, remove the desired number of needle-blocks, elevatethe stop-ring by means of bolt B until all of the remainingneedle-blocks can be brought into engagement with each other by slidingthem up their inclined seats on the needlering, and then secure them intheir newly adjusted positions by means of the clampblocks andclamp-bolts, as before described. To increase the size of theneedle-cylinder by inserting more needles, it is only necessary toloosen the clamp-blocks and slide the needleblocks down their inclinedseats on the needle-ring until they can be separated to permit thedesired number of the needle-blocks to be inserted and seated on theinclined portion of the needle-ring, and adjust the stopring andclamp-blocks, as described, to seat the needle-blocks and hold them inengagement with each other. I am thus able by a radial and verticaladjustment of the needleblocks to increase or diminish the number ofneedles in the same needle-cylinder.

To compensate for the vertical movements of the needles relatively tothe needle-ring, I provide means for vertically adjusting theneedle-ring relatively to its fixed support or bed-plate, consisting ofa vertically adj ustable washer D- interposed between the lower end ofthe cylinder-hub A and a second washer D resting on the bed-plate. Thewashers are each provided with a series of cams D on their contiguousengaging surfaces which may be of any known pattern, whereby a revolublemovement of one Washer upon the other will produce an endwise orvertical movement of the upper washer. The upper and lower washers arerespectively provided with apertured radial lugs D D projectingoutwardly and connected by a screw-threaded bolt D having a head D toengage one of the lugs through which the bolt passes loosely in avertically elongated slot. The aperture in the other lug isscrewthreaded to receive and fit the screw-threaded end of the bolt. Byturning the bolt to draw the lugs toward each other the upper washer andneedle-cylinder are moved vertically upward. By turning the bolt in theopposite direction the upper washer and needle-cylinder are forced bygravity vertically downward, whereby a vertical adjustment of theneedlering corresponding in degree with the vertical adjustment of theneedles on the ring can be conveniently effected in a direction tomaintain the needles in a fixed horizontal plane. When desired the lowerwasher may form an integral part of the bed-plate.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with aneedle-supporting ring having inclined needle block seats, of stops forthe needle-blocks vertically adjustable on the ring, needle-blocks eachhaving an inclined surface in engagement with its inclined seat andmovable onsuch seat to and from its stop, and means for securing theseveral needle-blocks in engagement with their respective seats andstops, substantially as described.

2. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with aneedle-supporting ring, of a plurality of needles detachably secured tothe ring and radially adjustable thereon, adjustable stops for theneedles, and a plurality of clamp-blocks for securing the needles uponthe ring in adj usted positions, substantially as described.

3. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with aneedle-supporting ring provided with radially adjustable needles andwith an inclined clamp-seat, of a clamp for the needles having aninclined surface to engage with such inclined clampseat, substantiallyas described.

4. In a needle-cylinder for knitting-machines, the combination with aneedle-supporting ring provided with needle-blocks adjustably supportedupon inclined seats, of a stop-ring'rotatable relatively to theneedlering, a plurality of inclined-slot and bolt connections betweensuch rings, and means for securing the needle-blocks upon their inclinedseats in engagement with the stop-ring, substantially as described.

5. In a knitting-machine the combination with the bed-plate and aspindle fixed thereon, of a needle-cylinder rotary on the fixed spindleand provided with needle-blocks adj ustably supported upon inclinedseats, and a vertically adjustable washer interposed between theneedle-cylinder and the bed-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day ofJanuary, 1893.

ROBERT W. GORMLY. Vitnesses:

FRANK 0. (loans, H. P. FIELDING.

